Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-11
NINETEEN JUNIORS.
The Fearful Condition of Mary Cullen
i MiraeuIOus Surgical Opera.
ton Saves Her Life.
The Crss Which Puzzled the New York
Doctors, but has Now Besn
Solved.

treatment Her condition was COnsid-
cred precarieUs on account Of great physi
cal weakness and exhaustion, but it wa.
not believed by DR.. Beardslee, the house
surgeon, that any thing could be done fol
her which would DE If much benefit.
The patient is thirty yeaTs old and has
been married six years. The history oi
her case shows that the disease
began to manifest itself about two
years before Ger marriage. she was
then at work in factory in Buffalo, and
had to run a sewing machine, using
heavy material, al day with her feet.
Her abdomen began to swell and in time
became so much enlarged rs to interfere
with ber work, and she had to quit. Her
condition WIS thought to be due 10 the
constant treadiGg OF the machine, and in
fact, IS sle appeared - EscOme BET CT
after she stopped It there seemed 20 be
some ground for the opinion. The swell
ling did not diminish, but as it did not
increase, and was not inCOnyenient, it
was considered that she would not be
troubled further, and no effort was made
TO ascertain its cause in an authentic
manner.
During five years of married life she
gave birth to three children. They were
born alive. The first child had no arms
and only one foot. The second had only
one arm and leg on the body, both being
on the right side, and the third child had
only q partially developed head. The
eyes, nose and frontal bone were miss
ing, and the fetus presented
HORRIBLY UNNATURAL APPEARANCE.
Such q remarkable succession of GT-
rested developments he'd never before
been met with. There was nothing in
the WOman's condition to account for it.
She seemed healthy and strong, and the
imperfect children were placed under the
head of natures freaks, which is an easy
way Of disposiDg Of things that can not
be explained
Soon after the birth of the last child the
abdomen became exceedingly sore to the
touch, and a swelling appeared in the
other side that increased rapidly. The
woman had frequent fsinting fits, in
which she would remain for hours, and
would always come out of them with ViO
lent attacks Of vomiting. As the protu-
berarce continued TO enlarge the WOman's
health broke down. Severe palpitatiOns
of the heart came on, and the organs of
digestion became so badly diSarranged
that food when taken caused great dis
comfort. She continued to increase In
size with corresponding decrease IN
strength until she became so weak as to
be unable to walk. Heavy bandages had
to be wound around her abdomen
Whatever treatment was given to her
had only temporary effect Under the
advice Of her physician she came to this
city. Her case then appeared to be hope
less. The abdomen had developed TO the
enormous circumference Of seventy-siX
inches, and was still growing, and life
was worse than death could be. The pa
tient begged all the time that something
might be done for her relief. DR.. Boards
lee. after a careful examination, con-
cludcd that the swelling was due to an
enormous tumOr, involving surely the
uterus. It's full extent was only matter
Of conjecture, but as q careful external
manipulation showed that it was quite
free in movement it was deemed prudent
to conduct an operation of exploration.
The patient was given ether without re-
mOving her from her cot, as it was
deemed best to move her as little as pos
si5ie.
AN INCISION WAS MADE
in the iinea alba, just below the umbIliCus
about seven inches long, and carried
through the fatty tissue until the perl
toneum was reached. Then this delicate
membrane was picked up with director
introduced into it, and the inCision was
extended through it, exposing the tumOr.
1t had 9 peculiar surface, resembling
somewhat the granulatiOns OF a
coarse piece of metal. The surgeon in
uoduCed his hand into the abdomen and
found that the tumor was fastened to the
abdominal contents at many points. In
fact, the Gdhesions were so numerous
that consultation was held as to the ad-
visibility Of proceeding further, in view
of the imminent danger of the woman dy-
iug before the operation could be CON-
pieted. It was decided tC 90 on
and run the risk. The adhesions were
carefully broken. The surgeon in doing
so Was astonished to find at point on
each size of the large tumor, near the
top, several smaller ones. They were
attached TO the large one, and in the IN
common position of end to end. From
their appearance they seemed to have
grown out of the large one and then out
OF each othel, being Joined together at
the pedicle and apex. The further the line
extended from the main tumor the small |
er the tumors became. With his hand
the surgeon traced the new growths and
thst they seemed to be Joined to the
muscular tissue in the back. Such pc
culisr combination had never before been |
seen, and great care was taken to pre-
serve the combination entire.
Enough of the bowels was taken out
of the body to permit handling the large |
tumOr easily. A large clamp was placed |
around the pedicle of the tumor and |
frightened with a set screw. This was
done to avoid hemorrhage. The tumor |
was drawn through the abdominal in |
cisiOn, and knife Was run through the |
pedicle, following the line Of the clamp. |
There was only a tTifiDg hemOrrhage. |
Prior 10 the cutting, the liquid contents |
of the tumor were drained by means of |
large trocar and rub3er tube. Ia all there |
were five gallons.
TEE SMALLER TJMORS WERE BROKEN
from their attachments to the abdominal |
organs, and the end of the series was sew !
cred from the back. This was delicate |
task, and, fortunately, no large blood yes.
sells were involved. The hemorrh8ge was
considerable, but was readily controlled |
by torsion. The small tumors were nine